The town is a step closer to welcoming a new Director for C.H. Booth Library. The library Board of Trustees convened a closed session Tuesday night to discuss  a recommendation from the board’s Director Search Committee, which has been seeking candidates.

After an hour of private discussion, the board resumed its regular public meeting, and at the end of the evening unanimously agreed to accept the search committee’s recommendation subject to a meeting with the candidate, possibly as soon as next week. The candidate was not identified.

As members adjourned, Board of Trustees Chair Martha Robilotti said she could not discuss the candidate until a final job offer is made, citing personnel protocol. The candidate’s name will be announced, she said, when the candidate has accepted.

The search committee consists of board members Bob Geckle, Colleen Honan, Peter Stern and Michael Talluto, along with staff representative Kim Weber, and community representatives Joan Petersen and Christine Stowe, as well as Bethel Library Acting Director Lynn Rosato. The panel had scheduled interviews with five candidates from 19 resumes received as of May 9. Ms Weber and Ms Petersen had been invited to join the first half of Tuesday’s executive session.

This is the second search for a new director in as many years. This search committee is different, according to Mr Talluto, than the last director search in 2013, when a smaller committee made up exclusively of board of trustees members selected a new director who was not embraced by staff or community and who left after less than 12 weeks on the job. Beryl Harrison, former assistant library director, has been serving as acting director of the town’s library since November.

The difference this time, said Mr Talluto, is that the current committee includes representatives from the community who are library users along with a representative from the staff. Those changes in the search committee, he said, has been helpful in the process.